Fire that embraces the Ice
by HitsugayaDream
Summary: The winter war is approaching fast, and as if Hitsugaya doesn't have enough to deal with, Soul Society has enlisted the help of someone who is less than thrilled to be back. Who is this mysterious person and what is her past with Hitsugaya? HitsuxOC
1. Beginnings

So yeah, this is my first fanfic, please read, please enjoy!!!

Fire that embraces the Ice

Beginnings

Hitsugaya sighed, staring out the window of his office. It was a beautiful day with clear blue sky and the sun shining down. Matsumoto, seated on the couch, looked up at her taicho. It wasn't like him to daydream, but she could understand. After all, today was a special day.

'_How long has it been...since..._', he thought, before shaking his head. '_No. I won't think about...her..._'.

**'Master, the past is the past, but it's alright to remember'**

'_No, Hyorinmaru, I told myself I wouldn't grieve anymore, I can't be an emotional mess, there are people depending on me._'

**'Master, I am part of you, you cannot lie to me. You aren't grieving, you're hoping.**'

"Taicho?" Hitsugaya lifted his head to face Matsumoto. "You have a captains meeting in 20 minutes.", she said softly, before returning to her paperwork. She had seen the expression on his face and knew he had been having a conversation with Hyorinmaru. She could only hope the ice dragon could help her taicho.

"Hai. Arigato, Matsumoto. Why don't you take a break. I'll be back later.", he responded quietly, before standing up from his desk and walking out of his office.

**'You know something is wrong when Matsumoto is doing paperwork.' **

'_Urusai_'

_**Somewhere in Rukongai**_

A person dressed in a black cloak stood on the top branches of a tall tree, staring at the cluster of buildings surrounded by a large wall in the distance.

'_Will he remember me? He better...I wonder if he remembers what today is....does it even matter to him anymore? After what I did?_'

The cloaked person sighed deeply, before jumping down from the tree and running off.

'_No point wondering. Don't want to keep everyone waiting._'

_**Back in Sereitei**_

"...due to the actions of Aizen, we have enlisted the help of several outsiders. Of course, substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends..."

Hitsugaya stared at the floor, barely paying attention to the soutaicho. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

'_Does she remember? Heck, does she even remember me? Does she even care?_'

**'Master, I think you**'**ll want to hear this.'**

'_...Will I ever see her again? Why do I care?! She left! Not my problem anymore_'

"....Shiba Kukkaku, Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi...."

**'Master...'**

'_Every year, you'd think I'd be over this by now_'

**'HITSUGAYA'**

Hitsugaya's head snapped up just as the soutaicho said, "...technically not a shinigami, but we have enlisted her help anyway. This is a very serious situation we are in and I want to take full precautions. You may come in now.", he finished, as the huge double doors opened, letting in a stream of light silhouetting the person standing in the doorway. Hitsugaya's eyes opened wide as a familiar, warm reiatsu washed over him. "It can't be...", he muttered.

A gloved hand reached up and pushed away the hood of the cloak to reveal a long mane of dark auburn hair and deep mahogany eyes. The woman strode into the room, the only sound being the _click-clack_ of her boots on the floor. All eye's followed her, wide and disbelieving. She came to a halt in front of the soutaicho, bowed, and turned around to face the captains.

" I believe you all remember our old comrade..."

At this she looked away, trying to avoid the stares, especially that of a certain white-haired taicho.

"...Hanako Akane..."

__________________________________________________________________________

So that's the first chapter! Hoped you enjoyed, feel free to review. I promise the second chapter is going to be longer.

For those who are wondering, Hanako means "Flower child" and Akane means "Brilliant red". This will be very important later on!!!!

I Heart You!!!


	2. Not thinking

Second chapter!! YAY!!! And thank you to those who reviewed and those who favorited this story!!!

Not thinking

'_A small, white-haired boy chased after a young girl with long brown hair in a braid down her back. The pink kimono she had on was torn, and her knee was bloody, but still she ran on, laughing as the boy screamed threats at her back. His dark grey kimono was soaking wet, and droplets of water added to her trail of blood.....The two children sat on a porch, watching as an older girl in an academy uniform walked up the road smiling at them, a watermelon in her hands......This time, they were sitting in a tree, watching the sunset, smiles on their faces...'_

Flashback after flashback ran through Akane's mind, as the soutaicho informed the rest of the taicho's about her current situation. She sneaked a glance at the boy she had grown up with...well, man now. He had gotten taller, and his hair was spikier than before. And his eyes....the deep turquoise eyes that had before displayed so many emotions...anger, frustration, even on occasion worry....now reflected nothing but coldness. His face was pulled down as if in a permanent frown, and his brow was knitted together in confusion. Akane could only imagine what was going through his mind right now. For her to arrive, today of all days! And what the soutaicho was going to say next wasn't going to help the situation.

"Seeing as how Hanako hasn't been in Seiretei for some time, I feel it would be unwise to place her in a captain's position, despite the fact that we have three spaces. If, in time, she has proven worthy, the postition will be granted to her, following the required test, of course...",

'_Fat chance'_, scoffed Akane, '_Once this thing is over, I'm outta here. No need to stay where I'm not wanted,...anymore than I'm gonna have to.' _At this, she winced slightly.

"...but, for now, she will be taking the position of third seat of the tenth squad. I understand the current third seat is in recovery at the fourth squad at the moment.", finished the soutaicho. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, (except of course for Byakuya, who has proven emotionless). Hitsugaya finally looked up, his eyes opened wide in shock. Akane gave a small sigh.

'_I knew this would happen. I warned him. Placing me in Tenth squad is a REALLY bad in Soul Society was that old man thinking?!_'

_**'He wasn't'**_, replied a small voice in her head.

"That concludes this meeting. Dismissed", said Yamamoto. Everyone stared, before they slowly began to move towards the door. Akane strode swiftly to the doors. However, she paused before the threshold, and turned to Hitsugaya.

"You've grown", she stated softly, before turning and shunpoing out into the sunshine.

"This brings back memories", said Akane, pausing slightly before the Tenth squad office door. It was silent on the other side. Akane grinned at what she knew she would find, and sure enough, as she slid open the door, she saw several sake bottles on the floor, and a sleeping Matsumoto on the couch. Giggling softly, Akane tiptoed to the side of the couch and, bending low, whispered into Matsumoto's ear, "Ran-chan..."

Matsumoto sat up with a bolt and turned to Akane.

"A...Aki-chan?!", she said softly. She rubbed her eyes, before turning back to Akane. "You're here...I'm not dreaming...Why today, Aki?"

Akane giggled slightly at the old nickname, before turning to the window. "Orders from the soutaicho. I'm needed for the Winter War", she stated, gliding to the center of the room and picking up one of the sake bottles. "I'll explain everything later. Right now, your taicho's on his way, and I don't think, after all these years, that his views on you drinking sake in the office have changed. Matsumoto gasped, and then hurried around the room, straightning things out and arranging the piles of paperwork. Akane sat down on the now vacant couch and put her feet up on one of the piles of paperwork, noticing as she did that one fo the folders had her name on it. She wondered whether Matsumoto feel the need to check up on her. She stored the question away to ask her later, and instead laughed out loud as Matsumoto feel over a stack of paperwork, sending the sake bottles flying toward the now open door, where Hitsugaya so convenietly happened to be standing.

Hitsugaya sighed. The first time he had seen her in who knows how many years, and the first thing she notices is his height. He let out a deep breath. How was this going to work? He didn't know what Yamamoto was thinking, placing _her _in _his_ squad. This was not going to end well. He was distracted from this as he heard a loud gasp and the sound of someone running coming from his office. He didn't need to guess to know who it was. Gently sliding open the door, Hitsugaya heard a laugh...her laugh...before feeling suddenly...wet. The smell of alchohol filled his senses, and the sound of bottles crashing against the floor echoed around the now silent room. He opened his eyes to see Matsumoto on the floor, her head lifted up in shock, a fallen stack of paperwork behind her, and Akane, her face suddenly void of emotion, getting up from the couch. Putting up her hand, she faced Hitsugaya. Her palm glowed a deep red, and Hitsugaya felt dry. He looked down at his robes, and realized that Akane had used Kido to dry his clothes.

_**'**__**Impressive, isn't she? Wonder what other tricks she has up her sleeve...'**_

Hitsugaya was spared from answering as Akane lifted Matsumoto off the floor, who was spouting apologies.

"I'm SO sorry, taicho",

"Matsumoto"

"I didn't mean to, I was getting them out of the room like you wanted",

"Matsumoto"

"I didn't see the paperwork, I'll clean this all up, I promise",

"Matsumoto"

"I'll help with the paperwork for a month, well maybe not a MONTH, but I'm really REALLY sorry taicho...",

"MATSUMOTO!!!"

Said fukotaicho stopped babbling long enough to stare at her taicho.

"There's no need to apologize, I know what a clutz you are, and there's no need to clean it up seeing as how it's already been done", he said. This was true. While Matsumoto had been apologizing, Akane had set about the room, cleaning up the broken bottles and picking up the scattered paperwork. She dusted off her robes as she turned to Hitsugaya.

"If you'll excuse me taicho, I'd like to go to bed. I'm a bit tired.", she said flatly, not looking at him. He just stared at her before striding to his desk. "In a minute, first I want to know what you are doing here and why you were put in my squad", he said a bit too forcefully. Akane winced slightly at this, but Hitsugaya appeared not to notice. Matsumoto turned to her taicho, surprised. "Eh, taicho? She's in our squad?"

"Hai. Temporary Third seat."

They both turned to Akane, who sighed and sat down in a chair across from Hitsugaya. "It's a really long story. It starts from when...when I left."

At this both Hitsugaya and Akane looked away. Matsumoto sat down on the couch. She had always wondered what had happened between her taicho and her best friend. She never wanted to ask Hitsugaya, because whenever Akane's name was brought up, he would get a sad, far away look on his face. Now, though she knew it was going to be uncomfortable, she was going to get the full story, which she doubted even her taicho knew. As far as she knew, no one but the soutaicho had been given an explanation as to why Akane has suddenly decided to leave, and why she was allowed to. Shinigami didn't resign.

"I want to know", said Hitsugaya, finally looking up. Akane gave a sigh, before turning to stare out the now dark window.

"Very well..."

I'm evil, I know. This wasn't that long, but the explanation is, so I decided to leave it for the next chapter, where _**ALL WILL BE REVEALED!!!!!!! **_Well, not all, but ALOT!!! Hope you enjoyed, review if you please.

I Heart You!!!


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